Power Rangers: Deck-Building Game – Zeo: Stronger Than Before
Power Rangers: Deck-Building Game – Zeo: Stronger Than Before Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Experienced Players
- Contents
- How to Win
- Basics
- Setup
- Playing the Game
- Start Phase in Detail
- Main Phase in Detail
- End Phase in Detail
- Other Card Types
- Miscellaneous Rules
- Tips on Playing
- The Golden Rule
- New to Zeo
- Zeo Rules Clarifications
- Specific Card Clarifications
- Mixing the Base Game, Promos, & Expansions
- Quick Reference
- Serpentera Section Promo Rules
Experienced Players
For players who are already familiar with the Power Rangers Deck-Building Game, Zeo includes a new Zord Bay with special rules (pg. 16). Otherwise, this rulebook is identical to the base game. You can turn to page 21 for clarifications and a glossary of new card effects.
Contents
Ages 13+, 2–4 Players, 30-70 Minutes
- 75 Main Deck Cards
- 40 Starter Cards
- 12 Oversized Character Cards
- 12 Signature Item Cards
- 12 Stun Cards
- 12 Zeo Blaster Cards
- 6 Zord Cards
- 6 Master Cards
- 4 Turn Order Tokens
- 2 Hit Point/Energy Status Trackers
- 1 Zeo Megazord/Powered Zeo Megazord Card
- 1 Zord Bay Tile
- 1 The Lair Tile
How to Win
Reduce the opposing team's Hit Points from 30 to 0 (abbreviated as "HP" on cards). In the unlikely event that a player attempts to add a new card to The Grid and the main deck is empty, that player finishes their turn and then the game ends. The team with the highest Hit Point total wins. If that is tied, the team with the most Energy wins.
Basics
Each player starts with a character card and 10 Starter cards in their personal deck, seven of which generate 1 Grid Shard when played. Grid Shards (abbreviated as "Shards") are used to buy or Battle cards in The Grid. The Grid is a line-up of 6 cards in the middle of the table. The main deck that supplies The Grid contains Heroes, Villains, Equipment, Maneuvers, Zeo Crystals and Locations. There are 2 copies of each card, except for Locations and Zeo Crystals which are unique, and all Grid cards have a cost of 2-5 Shards. As a deck-building game, cards gained through buying or other means are added to your personal discard pile. When your discard pile is reshuffled into your deck, the new cards are incorporated into your deck, improving it each round.
Anatomy of a Character Card
These oversized cards feature colored edges, referred to as "slots." These slots match up with the colors of the various card types.
When you have a card in your hand, you may choose to attach it to a slot of the same color on your character card instead of playing that card for Shards and/or Energy. Attaching a card to your character allows you to use the activated ability on the card.
When your character's four slots are filled, flip from their Teenager/Scheming side to their Ranger/Empowered side. If attaching the fourth card triggers an effect on your character, resolve that before flipping your character. Once flipped, a character card never flips back to its Teenager/Scheming side, even if cards become detached.
Character cards also feature abilities that your character can use. The starting side of each character has either a triggered ability that generates an effect when a certain condition is met or a static ability that is always in effect (until you flip your character). A trigger could be playing a certain card type, attaching a card, or performing some other act. The effect could be anything from drawing a card to dealing some damage to the opposing team.
Static abilities are bonuses that never turn off (until you flip your character), though they may only be applicable during certain times. It is important to read both sides of your character card during setup so you can plan accordingly: Your character might need a lot of a certain card type to make the most of their abilities.
Each Hero and Villain character comes with a Signature Item and either a Zord (for Heroes) or Master (for Villains). These cards have the character's name on them and only you may buy your character's cards. Your character card, Signature Item, and Zord/Master will help your character's strategy during the game. Find your special cards by looking for your character's name or color.
Anatomy of a Main Deck Card
- Name: This is the name of the card. Hero cards have an icon next to their name to show which series they are from.
- Shard Cost: This is how many Shards you need to buy this card. A card's Shard cost appears in the hexagon in the upper left of the card.
- Shard Value: The number of Shards generated by the card when played. Shards are the "currency" you spend to buy and Battle cards.
- Energy Value: The Energy a card provides when you play it appears inside the downward facing blue/white arrow. This Energy is immediately "deposited" into your team's Energy reserves on your Status Tracker.
- Ability: Most cards have an activated ability that you must spend Energy to use. The number in the sideways blue/white arrow is the Energy cost to activate the ability (paid from your Status Tracker).
- Battle Icon: This is the Shard cost to Battle and discard an adversary card in The Grid. The reward for doing so is in the black bar next to the icon.
- Card Type: This is the card type of the card. Each card type has its own color, which makes it easy to see which cards work best with your character card.
- Set Icon: Cards from the Zeo expansion are marked with a (Z) for easy sorting. This symbol is not used during gameplay.
Setup
Follow these steps for 1v1, 2v1, and 2v2 games. When the setup varies for a specific player count, it will be noted.
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Divide the players into 2 teams—Heroes and Villains. In 2v1, decide which team has the lone player.
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Choose which character you want to play as. Or for more variety, shuffle the oversized Heroes and Villains separately and deal each player 2 characters from their team. Each player chooses 1 of these characters to play. You can look at the corresponding Zord/Master and Signature Item of your 2 choices before deciding. Coordinate with your teammate for best results.
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When all players have chosen, place your character in the play area in front of you. A Hero character starts on the Teenager side, while Villains start on their Scheming side.
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Find your Zord/Master and Signature Item and place them slightly away from your play area, as only you can acquire these cards.
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Place all remaining characters and Signature Items back into the box.
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Place the Zord Bay tile near or between the Hero player(s) and keep the Zeo Megazord card near the tile.
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Place The Lair tile near or between the Villain player(s).
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Shuffle the main deck and place it towards one end of the central play area. Add cards one at a time (face up) from the top of the main deck to create The Grid: a single line of 6 cards extending out from the main deck. The initial Grid should not have more than 2 cards of any type. Any cards drawn past 2 of a given type should be set aside and replaced. In this way, the initial Grid will not have more than 2 cards of the same type—i.e., 2 Villains, 2 Maneuvers, etc. Once there are 6 cards in The Grid, shuffle any cards set aside back into the main deck.
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Place the Zeo Blaster stack face down and Stun stack face up near the side of The Grid where the main deck is found. Then flip the top card of the Zeo Blaster stack face up.
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Shuffle the remaining Zords and Masters separately and place them face down in 2 separate stacks on the side of The Grid opposite the main deck. Then flip the top card of each stack face up.
The Villain side always goes first. If there are 2 Villain players, they choose which one goes first. Give that player Turn Order Token 1. Their foe across the table becomes player 2. In 2v2, player 1's teammate is player 3, and the player across from them is player 4. These tokens are colored to the 2 teams, so Villains should flip their tokens to the purple side while the Heroes should flip their tokens to the gold side. No matter the player count, the sequence of play is always Villain-Hero-Villain-Hero. Play does not move clockwise.
Additional Notes on 2v1
- In a 3-player game, there will be 2 characters on one side and 1 character on the other.
- Even though the lone player begins the game with 15 HP, they still have a maximum of 30 HP.
- The lone player will draw 4 cards at the start of the game and at the end of each of their turns, instead of the normal 5.
- The lone player collects both turn order tokens. Stack them so the turn you are taking is on top. That will clue the other side as to who is the next player. For example, when taking your turn after player 1, place your player 2 token on top of your player 4 token.
Very experienced players with no teammate could play 2 characters (each with their own hand/deck), and therefore turn a 1v1 or 2v1 into a completely standard 2v2 game. Just make sure all players are in agreement with this option before choosing characters.
Playing the Game
The game is played in turns. Your turn is divided into three phases, which are played in this order:
Pro Tip: Teammates may look at each other's hands and discuss strategy at any time!
Start Phase
- Refill The Grid to 6 cards.
- If the top card of the Zeo Blaster, Zord, and/or Master stack is face down, flip it face up.
- Ready every card attached to your character.
- Resolve any "start of turn" effects in the order of your choosing.
Main Phase
Perform any number of the following actions, any number of times, in any order during your turn:
- Play cards from your hand to generate their Shards and Energy.
- Buy cards with a combined Shard cost equal to or less than your current Shard total.
- Attach cards in your hand to matching empty slots (by color) on your character card.
- Battle adversary cards in The Grid by paying the Shard cost inside the Battle icon.
- Activate an ability by paying the Energy cost listed on your character or a ready attached card.
- Discard a ready (upright) card attached to your character.
End Phase
- Perform any "at the end of your turn" actions in the order of your choosing.
- Take 1 damage for each adversary card in The Grid. For example, if you are a Hero player and there are 2 Villains in The Grid, you take 2 damage. This is not an Attack and therefore cannot be blocked.
- You may discard any number of cards attached to your character, whether ready or exhausted.
- Discard all non-Ongoing cards (see page 17) you played during your turn as well as all cards remaining in your hand.
- Refill your hand to 5 cards. The next player now starts their turn.
Start Phase in Detail
Before you play any cards or activate any abilities, you must first refill The Grid to 6 cards. Place cards from the top of the main deck face up into The Grid until there are 6 cards there. The "limit 2 of each card type" in effect during setup no longer applies.
Next, if the top card of the Zeo Blaster, Zord, and/or Master stack is face down, flip it face up. Since only the top card of these stacks are face up, you may only buy one card from these stacks during your turn.
Next, ready all cards attached to your character. This means turning them from the sideways "exhausted" position to the upright, "ready" position. Do not ready Zords attached to the Zord Bay (see page 16).
Lastly, resolve any "at the start of your turn" effects. These are mostly found on the Masters. You are now ready for your Main Phase to begin!
Main Phase in Detail
How to Play
Play cards from your hand to generate Shards and Energy or Attach cards to matching empty slots on your character (by color) so you can use their activated abilities by spending stored Energy.
Status Trackers
Your team's Energy is stored in the blue/white arrow at the top of the tracker (use the white dial), while your Hit Points are found in the heart at the bottom of the tracker (use the red dial). While it is your turn, your teammate should manage your team's HP/Energy Status Tracker and record all of the gains and losses—this will speed up your turn. When an effect causes you to gain or lose Energy or HP, call that out so your teammate and your foes can hear you. When you move a dial on the Status Tracker, follow the + and – guides on the edges. To add to the number drag your finger along the wheel towards the + sign. To reduce a number, pull your finger across the wheel towards the – sign. When not in hand, leave your tracker in an area that is visible to all players. It is always public information. Your maximum HP is 30 and your maximum Energy is 20.
Playing Cards
Playing a card generates Shards and Energy, but does not allow you to use the card's activated ability. Place cards you play face up in front of you. Activated abilities may only be used while the card is attached to your character. One exception is Block cards with the Hand icon (see page 11). Once played, you cannot change your mind and attach them instead. If a card has game text that does not have an activation cost (like Starter cards), they take effect when played. As you play your cards, call out Energy and Healing before playing additional cards.
Buying Cards
As you play cards, total up the Shards you've generated. This is your currency to buy as many cards as you have the Shards to pay for. When you buy a card, you then gain it at no additional cost. If an effect allows you to "gain" a card, you acquire it without paying Shards for it. You may buy cards from The Grid, from the Zeo Blaster stack, or from the space where you have placed your Signature Item and Zord/Master. If you have already purchased/gained your Zord or Master, you may buy the top card of the Zord or Master stack. However, only Heroes may buy cards from the Zord stack and only Villains may buy cards from the Master stack.
When you gain (acquire) a card through buying it or other means (such as a card ability), place it into your discard pile unless a card says otherwise. Do not replace cards in The Grid until the Start Phase of the next player's turn. You may hold cards in your hand and play/attach them after buying cards, activating attached cards, etc.
Important: Heroes may not buy Villains and Villains may not buy Heroes. Instead, you may Battle adversary cards to remove them from The Grid. More on Battling later.
Attaching Cards
The edges of your character card ("slots") have colors that match the colors of certain cards. Cards in your hand may be attached to a matching color slot on your character card instead of being played. When you attach a card from your hand to your character, you don't generate the Shards/Energy values of that card. Attach the card to a slot that matches the card's color. Signature Items match all colors, so they may attach to any color slot. If you do not have an empty slot of the appropriate color on your character, you may not attach the card. See "Discarding Attached Cards" (page 19) for how to create space to attach new cards.
(Illustration: a Ready card attached upright, an Exhausted card attached sideways, and an illegal attachment that does not match the slot color.)
Activating Abilities
Use Energy stored on your Status Tracker to pay the cost of activating an ability. The required Energy (not Shard) cost is found on the sideways blue/white arrow in the text box of cards attached to your character. You may activate any number of your attached cards during your Main Phase, as long you have the Energy to spend. Once your character has flipped to their final form, you may also use your character's built in activated ability.
Activated abilities may only be used once per turn. When you activate an attached card, exhaust it (turn it 90° sideways to the "exhausted" position). Cards attached to your character ready at the start of your next turn, and then may be used again. You don't exhaust your character card when you use their activated ability, but the once per turn rule still applies. When you activate an ability, it generates an effect. Do what the ability says to do in the order in which the ability is written. Once one ability has finished resolving, you may activate another during your Main Phase if you wish, or perform other actions before activating another attached card.
Ability Source
If a triggered ability says "When you," that refers only to you and not your teammate. For example, Kat's "When you attach a Hero, draw 1 card" ability only triggers when Kat attaches a Hero. When her teammate attaches a Hero, her ability doesn't trigger.
Attacks
Attacks are abilities, usually activated ones, that allow you to disrupt and damage the opposing team. There are two types of Attacks: targeted and non-targeted. A targeted Attack asks you to choose a single foe when you activate the Attack. A non-targeted Attack is one that deals damage to the opposing team and doesn't use the phrase "target foe." Attacks that deal damage typically read, "Deal X damage." This is a non-targeted Attack that, if not negated, simply removes X Hit Points from the opposing team's HP total.
If an Attack reads, "Each targeted foe," then the Attack is targeted against each foe separately. It is essentially two Attacks in one. Each of your foes may Block the Attack directed at them, but not the one directed at their teammate. If one player Blocks, that does not help their teammate avoid the Attack. If at least one foe Blocks, that triggers text on the Attack card that reads, "If negated…"
Playing a card with Attack text does not generate an Attack. Paying a card's activated ability Energy cost generates the Attack, which can only be done if the card is attached. Some character cards have triggered attacks, which means an Attack effect is generated when you perform the specific action listed prior to the Attack text.
Blocks
Blocks are cards that allow you to negate an Attack. Negating an Attack negates its harmful effects. For example, if an Attack were to threaten 6 damage to your team, a single Block negates all of that damage. However, some Attacks have additional text that resolves if the Attack is negated. That part of an Attack is not negated, and cannot be negated with another Block card. For example, Sword of Damocles attack deals 7 damage. It also reads "If negated, you lose 3 HP." If a Block negates the 7 damage of the Attack, the attacker will still lose 3 HP.
When you make an Attack, the opposing team might be able to use a Block card to negate the effect of your Attack. Who can use a Block depends on whether the Attack is targeted or not:
- A targeted Attack may only be Blocked by the foe that was targeted, even if the effect is damage.
- A non-targeted Attack (which typically causes damage to your team) may be Blocked by either teammate.
When they are negated, some Attacks might also grant you a small consolation prize (or penalty for your foes) if they are negated. If an Attack card does not have "If negated" text, then there is no side effect if that Attack is negated.
If an Attack is non-targeted, either teammate may Block it. If targeted, only the targeted player may Block it. Negating an Attack allows you (or your team) to avoid the harmful effects of the Attack.
To Block an Attack, pay the activation cost on the Block card. Block cards are unique in that most of them may also be used while in your hand. Block cards that may be used while in your hand have a shield symbol with a hand on it.
Whether a Block card is attached to your character or in your hand, almost all Block cards have text reading, "Discard this card" or something similar. This means that as part of the resolution of the Block, you must discard the Block card whether it is attached or activated from your hand. Perform the effects on a Block card in the order the text is written. Most Block text also grants you a reward for Blocking, like drawing 1 card, Healing some HP, giving the attacker a Stun, etc.
Only one Block card may be used per Attack, unless it hits multiple players, in which case each affected player may Block it. Using a Block to negate an Attack is not "playing" the card. You do not have to Block an Attack if you don't want to. It is rarely necessary to Block an Attack that deals 1 or 2 damage ... unless you have only 1 or 2 Hit Points!
Battling Adversary Cards
Heroes in The Grid are adversaries of the Villains. Villains in The Grid are adversaries of the Heroes.
These adversary cards in The Grid can take a toll on your team's Hit Points. During the End Phase of your turn, your team is dealt 1 unblockable damage for each adversary in The Grid.
Heroes can't buy Villain cards and Villains can't buy Hero cards, but you can Battle your adversaries instead. In the black bar at the bottom of each Hero and Villain, you will find a Battle icon. This is the Shard cost to Battle that adversary. Removing an adversary from The Grid in this way reduces the damage your team takes and also denies the card to your opponents. You may only Battle adversary cards, and Battling a card is not an Attack.
When you pay the Battle cost on an adversary in The Grid, two things happen:
- Resolve the text next to the Battle icon. This either gives you a reward for Battling the card or imposes a penalty upon your foes (which is not an Attack).
- The adversary card is removed from The Grid and placed into the main deck discard pile. A new card does not enter The Grid to replace it until the start of the next player's turn.
These effects happen before any other effects. For example, each player begins the game with a Starter card that allows them to draw 2 cards when they Battle. You must resolve the Battle text before using this effect.
End Phase in Detail
When you are done attaching, buying, and activating cards, you move into your End Phase. First, any unspent Shards are lost. Not the cards, just the Shards you generated through playing cards. You do not store any Shards from turn to turn.
Next, resolve any "at the end of your turn" effects.
Next, check The Grid for adversaries. You take 1 damage for each adversary card in The Grid. For example, if you are a Hero player and there are 2 Villains in The Grid, take 2 damage. This is not an Attack and is therefore not blockable.
Then, you may discard any number of cards attached to your character, whether they are ready or exhausted. During your Main Phase, you may only discard cards in the ready position, so now is your chance to discard cards you activated during your turn. There are two main reasons to do this:
- You want to return the card to your deck so you can draw it and use its Shards/Energy.
- The card is no longer as useful. Some cards help you gain and/or attach cards, which aren't as useful once you have flipped your character.
Next, discard all non-Ongoing cards you played during your turn as well as all cards remaining in your hand. You can't save any cards in your hand. Cards with Ongoing, such as Locations, stay in play in front of you.
Lastly, refill your hand to 5 cards. Anytime you draw a card, only draw it from your personal deck and not some other deck. If your deck runs out of cards before you have refilled your hand to 5 cards, shuffle your discard pile and it becomes your new deck. Continue drawing from your new deck until you have 5 cards in hand. The next player may start their turn during this process.
Other Card Types
Signature Item Cards
Each character has a unique, multi-color Signature Item card. Only that character is able to buy their Signature Item card. It sits near your character card as a reminder that you may buy it if you choose to when you have enough Shards. Signature Item cards are unique in that they match any color, so they can be attached to any slot on your character no matter the color of that slot. This ability is spelled out on the card.
When you buy (gain) your Signature Item, it immediately attaches to any empty slot on your character, no matter its color. It cannot attach to the Zord Bay. If you don't have an empty slot, discard it instead. Once attached, you may use its activated ability or wait until later. If you feel that your deck would benefit from the Shards and Energy from this powerful item, discard this card: If it's ready, discard it anytime; If exhausted, discard it during the End Phase of your turn. When you draw it again in the future, you may play or attach it just like you would any other card.
The unused Signature Item cards are not available for purchase. Each player will only ever have access to one of these special cards.
Master Cards
Only Villains may buy these powerful cards, which represent a Villain at the height of their power. Each Villain player (and only that player) has access to their own character's Master. You must buy your own Master before you may buy other Masters. Masters have a Shard cost of "7*." The asterisk is explained by the text at the bottom of the card: If your teammate controls their personal Master (has the Master with their character's name attached), you pay 2 fewer Shards to buy Masters. That includes your own and Masters from the stack as well. For 1v1 games, you don't have a teammate, so all of your Zords/Masters will always cost the full 7 Shards to buy.
Each Villain has an orange slot at the bottom of their character card. The text inside that slot reads: "Attach
Most Master cards have an Ongoing "start of turn" ability. These are not activated abilities that you must pay a cost to use – they just happen. If there are multiple "start of turn" effects to resolve, you choose the order in which they take effect.
Only you get to take advantage of the text on your own Master and only you control it. While your Master is attached, your teammate, if any, receives a discount of 2 Shards to purchase Masters (including their own).
Once you have bought your own Master, you are able to buy additional Masters from the stack next to The Grid. When you buy a Master other than your own, attach it to The Lair. The next card in the Master stack is face down and won't be revealed until the start of the next player's turn, so you cannot buy more than one Master from the stack per turn.
The Lair
This tile is where Villains place Master cards other than their own. When you attach a card here, it immediately triggers a healing effect. When counting Masters you control, include the Master attached to your character (if any) plus any Masters in The Lair, including the one you just attached there. Once a Master is in The Lair, they are controlled by both Villains.
Each Villain player gets to resolve all of the Master abilities in The Lair during their turn (or may use Queen Machina's Battle ability even when it is not your turn). When all of the Masters are attached, each Villain controls 5 Masters (6 if you don't have a teammate). "Attaching" a Master to The Lair simply means placing the card below the tile. Don't place them on the tile, as that will obscure the text on The Lair.
Zords
Only Heroes may buy/gain these powerful cards. A Hero player automatically gains their personal Zord when all 4 slots on their character card are filled and they flip to their Ranger side. A Hero player may buy their Zord prior to this if they wish, but they will not earn another Zord when flipping their character. In either case, when you buy or gain a Zord (buying a card is also gaining it), attach it to any unoccupied slot on the Zord Bay tile. Zords attached to the Zord Bay tile are always controlled by both Hero players.
Once a player has bought or gained their own Zord, they are free to buy additional Zords from the stack next to The Grid. Zords have a Shard cost of "7*." The asterisk is explained by the text at the bottom of the card: If your teammate controls their personal Zord, you pay 2 fewer Shards to buy Zords. That includes your own (if you choose to buy it early) and Zords from the stack as well.
Anytime you buy or gain a Zord, attach it to the Zord Bay. The next card in the Zord stack is face down and won't be revealed until the start of the next player's turn, so you cannot buy more than one Zord from the stack per turn.
Zeo Zord Bay
The Zeo Zord Bay tile and its potential to build the Zeo Megazord is the ultimate weapon in the Ranger's arsenal. The Zord Bay has 5 slots, each of which may only be filled with a Zord. While a Zord is attached and in the ready position, its activated ability may be used by either teammate during their turn.
Important: Zords do not ready at the start of a Hero's turn. Instead, the activated ability printed on the Zord Bay tile must be used to ready the attached Zords. Just like any other activated ability, you may only use this ready ability once during each of your turns, even if you upgrade or downgrade to a new ready ability during your turn.
As stated on the Zord Bay tile, a Hero player may only activate 1 ready Zord during each of their turns. You may use any Zord, whether you attached it or not. The Zeo Zord 5 is a Block card, so it may be used during a Villain's turn.
Red Battlezord and Zeo Megazord
Upgrading the Zeo Zordbay to the Red Battlezord and building the Zeo Megazord is a goal the Heroes should strive for. To upgrade the Zord Bay to the Red Battlezord, you need to attach 3 Zords to the Bay. To build the Zeo Megazord, you need to attach 5 Zords to the Bay. Both the Red Battlezord and Zeo Megazord have an 'Attach' requirement and 'Activate' value.
The Attach requirement is the number of Zords you need to attach to the Zord Bay in order to flip the Zordbay or build the Zeo Magazord. As soon as you have 3 Zords attached to the Zord Bay, exhaust all attached Zords without activating them and FLIP the Zeo Zord Bay to the Red Battlezord side. The upgraded Red Battlezord ability is now the ability of the Zord Bay. If for any reason you would no longer have 3 attached Zords, the Bay still remains flipped.
If you have 5 Zords attached, cover the Red Battlezord space with the Zeo Megazord card! The Zeo Megazord ability is now the ability of the Zord Bay. This increases your Zord activations to 5 per turn and gives you a new ability that lets you ready ALL Zords and deals 4 unblockable damage.
The Activate value is how many times a Hero player can activate ready Zords during their turn (1, 3, or 5). If the Zord Bay is flipped to the Red Battlezord side, for example, you may now activate up to 3 ready, attached Zords each turn instead of just 1. They still remain exhausted when used, as normal and must be readied by using the Red Battlezord's ready ability. The Zord Bay, Red Battlezord, and Zeo Megazord abilities do not count against this Activate limit.
Attaching the Zeo Megazord or flipping the Zeo Zordbay does not reset the Activate limit: Any Zords previously activated during this turn still count toward (and reduce) your new limit. Note: Anytime you fail to meet the attachment requirements of either Megazord, you immediately revert to the previous one. Set the detached Megazord card aside—do not discard it. You may reattach it again later when you have enough Zords attached.
Just like with a character card, a Mega activation to ready all Zords (and attack) may only be performed once during your turn, even if you upgrade or downgrade during the turn.
Locations
These cards have the "Ongoing" keyword. That means they stay in play and continue to work for you turn after turn. Most have a triggered effect or a start of turn ability instead of an activated ability. When the condition on the card is met, the game text triggers and you get an effect. An Ongoing ability can trigger multiple times during a turn. You may control any number of Locations and they only work for you, never for your teammate.
When you buy (gain) a Location, the text at the very bottom of the card tells you to place it into play. Put it in a space in front of you so that you won't forget about the card's bonuses, but not so close to your character card that it interferes with attaching cards. A good spot is near the area where you play your cards. Be sure not to grab your Locations at the end of your turn when you are discarding your played cards.
Basic Cards
Basic cards include Zeo Blasters and Stun cards. There are 12 copies of each of these cards, and they are placed into 2 separate piles next to The Grid.
Stun Cards
A Stun is effectively a "dead card" that takes up space in your hand. They have a cost because some cards care about costs and Stun cards can be referenced in this way, but they cannot be bought. Stuns are typically gained through harmful effects leveled at you by the opposing side. When you gain a Stun, place it into your discard pile. If you destroy a Stun, place it away from the play area in a destroyed card pile — do not return it to the Stun stack. If there are no cards in the Stun stack when an effect tells you to gain one, ignore that effect.
Stun cards can be played, but give no benefit when you do. However, to take advantage of the card text, you must play the card. The text on a Stun allows you to return it to the Stun stack if you Heal 2+ HP during the turn in which you play the Stun. If you play multiple Stun cards during your turn they will all be returned if you Heal 2+ HP, even from a single healing effect.
Zeo Blasters
You may buy one of these cards during your turn (if everything in The Grid is too expensive or you just need some quick Shards during your future turns, for example). When you buy the top card of the Zeo Blaster stack, do not reveal a new Zeo Blaster. The Zeo Blaster is a versatile card that gives you the ability to reveal new cards in The Grid and be the first to have an opportunity to buy those cards. It can be used for its Shards and Energy value and can also be destroyed at any time during the same turn for its text ability. You are not required to use its ability text when you play it. As the text at the bottom of the card indicates, a Zeo Blaster that is destroyed for any reason and by any effect is returned to the bottom of the Zeo Blaster stack next to The Grid.
Miscellaneous Rules
Discarding Attached Cards
When you wish to discard a card attached to your character, detach it and put it into your discard pile. You may not voluntarily discard your Zords or Masters. Once you have cards attached to your character, you might want to switch them up and attach different cards. When you can do this depends on the state of the card you wish to remove:
- During your Main Phase, you may discard a card in the ready position from your character.
- During your End Phase, you may discard any number of attached cards you control, no matter their orientation.
Some attacks might tell you to "discard 1 attached card." That discard is made from your character. If you don't have any cards attached to your character, you must discard a Zord or Master you control. The Zord will be discarded from the Zord Bay, while the Master will be discarded from The Lair. You always choose which card to discard. When you later draw them, you may reattach them.
Discarding Cards
When a card effect tells you to discard a card, this is from your hand as the default. For example, "Discard 1 card" means "from your hand." If a card effect means for you to discard a card from anywhere else, it will mention where in the text. "Discard 1 attached card" means choose one of your attached cards, and then discard it. When you discard a card, it is placed face up into your discard pile. Your discard pile may be inspected by your foes. If you are forced to discard cards when it is not your turn, you will start your next turn with however many cards you have left. Do not draw to refill your hand to 5 cards until the end of your turn.
The Main Deck Discard Pile
This is a face up discard pile on the other side of the main deck where cards are placed that have been Battled or otherwise removed from The Grid. This is not the destroyed pile. Players are free to peruse the cards in this pile and their order does not matter.
Destroyed Pile
When you destroy a card, place it away from the play area. It does not go into the main deck discard pile. When you destroy a Stun, do not return it to the stack. Destroyed Blade Blasters are returned (face down) to the bottom of their stack, as the text at the bottom of the card says. Destroying Starter cards is a great way to improve your deck!
Healing
There are several cards in the game that can Heal you, including activated abilities, Starter cards, Battle rewards, etc. These are typically written as "Heal X," which means "Heal that many Hit Points for your team." Your team's maximum Hit Points is 30. If you are at 30 HP and use a Heal effect, it does not resolve as healing since you had no Hit Points to heal.
Shuffling Your Deck
Only shuffle your discard pile to become your new deck when you need to draw a card and cannot. Do not shuffle your discard pile simply because there are no cards in your deck. You must wait until the very moment where you must draw, reveal, or discard the top card of your deck. Only then do you shuffle your discard pile and make it your new deck. Oftentimes, you will need to reshuffle at the end of your turn to draw your 5 new cards. Draw until your deck is empty, then set aside your incomplete hand. Shuffle your discard pile, then continue drawing until you are full up at 5 cards. Your discard pile is always public information.
Control vs Own
Cards you play during your turn, cards attached to your character, cards that are in play on an Ongoing basis in front of you, and Zords/Masters attached to your team's tile are all cards you "control." You do not control cards in your hand, deck, or discard pile. You "own" all cards that you control, plus all of the cards in your hand, deck, and discard pile.
Tips on Playing
- The first 4 turns you take should be all about gaining cards and building up your deck with cards that you can eventually attach. Attaching cards too soon will diminish your buying power.
- Don't worry too much about adversaries in The Grid early on. One of your Starter cards can Heal your team. The best time to Battle is when you play your Regroup/Reconstruct card.
- After gaining some new cards, you should destroy Starter cards as often as you can so you will draw your new, better cards more often!
- When your team is at or near 20 Energy (the max), it might be worthwhile to attach and activate a card ability. Use some of your Energy before playing cards that give you more Energy. However, it might also be a good idea to discard the card during your End Phase so that you can draw it again and buy better cards.
- Buying cards that match the 4 slots of your character is your best plan. You are free to buy cards that don't match your character's colors, but you'll only be able to play them for their Shards and Energy and never for their activated ability (unless it's a Block from your hand).
- If you or your teammate have Block cards attached (or in hand), be sure to save some Energy for Blocking. That said, if you have plenty of Hit Points remaining, you might not need to worry about negating any Attacks.
- When you are attacked and don't have any Blocks attached or in your hand, don't give away that you are defenseless. Instead, tell your teammate, "Let's wait for a bigger attack."
The Golden Rule
When a card's text contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence! Consider every rule in the game to also have the text: "unless a card says otherwise."
New to Zeo
Zeo is a stand-alone game that includes all the cards you need to play. It is also an expansion to the Power Rangers Deck-Building Game and is fully compatible with all cards in the base game. Below are some rules clarifications for the Power Rangers Deck-Building Game: Zeo Expansion.
Zeo Sub-Crystals
Zeo includes a new, special card type with a multi-colored border called Zeo Sub-Crystals. There are 5 powerful Zeo Sub-Crystals, representing each Ranger color in the main deck. These cards can be acquired by both Rangers and Villains from The Grid and are placed into your discard as normal. They also match any color, so they can be attached to any slot on your character, but their card type remains "Zeo Crystal."
Zeo Rules Clarifications
Combination Attacks
Many Attacks in the Zeo expansion have multiple steps. Perform all steps of the Attack in the order listed if at all possible. If it is not possible to perform a portion of an Attack, you will still perform all the other actions listed in the Attack.
If an Attack is negated, ALL parts of the effect are negated. For example, Computer Password states, "Attack: Deal 2 damage and destroy 1 card in your hand or discard pile." In this example, the player would not be able to destroy a card if the Attack is negated.
Detaching a Card Clarification
If a player is forced to detach a card by an Attack or Block ability, they may detach a Ready or an Exhausted card.
Specific Card Clarifications
Defector, Singing Zap: These two cards are attached to a character and can ONLY be detached by Battle. This supersedes all other abilities and effects that would otherwise detach it. While both cards can be Battled in The Grid as normal, if the card is attached to a character, only the owner of that character can Battle the attached card. If there is no legal target for the card's effect (no player has an open slot on their character), it cannot be bought from The Grid.
Jason Lee Scott, Gold Zeo Ranger: You can attach any card type (aside from Villains) to any slot on this character card. This is represented by the rainbow color on all sides.
Robocupid, Zedd's Revenge, and Impursonator: These cards copy and activate the abilities of other cards in play. They gain the entire activated ability text and resolve it in its entirety. When gaining the Attack or Block keyword, the ability counts as an Attack or Block. They do not gain the "card type" of the ability they are copying.
Love Arrows, Power Disc: When activated, this card allows the player to immediately attach a Villain/Hero from The Grid. If this would cause all 4 of your slots to be full, your Character card will flip before this card is discarded as part of the action. Cards attached in this way can be activated for their abilities as normal.
Defender Wheel: A player is not forced to Block if they have a Block in hand nor if they do not have the Energy to activate the Block. A player must expend the Energy to Block with a card attached to their character, Zord, or an ability on their Character card.
Trey of Triforia: The card is destroyed after the Attack is fully resolved. So, if a Villain card is used to attack and it is chosen to be destroyed, the Attack will be completely resolved before its destruction.
Zeo Sub-Crystal 5 - Red: Gaining a Zord or Master in this way does not count against your limit of one per turn. You may use this card and also buy another Zord or Master on the same turn.
Draining Power: This is not a targeted Attack, so either foe may Block it.
Mixing the Base Game, Promos, & Expansions
The Zeo expansion gives you new options for combining the core set and its promos and expansions.
Blaster & Stuns
Only one Blaster and one Stun card set will be used in each game. Decide which Blaster you will be using and place the entire stack in play.
Zord Bay & The Lair
At the start of the game, the Rangers choose which Zord Bay and Megazords they will be using and the Villains choose which Lair they will be using.
Villain/Ranger Characters
Villains and Rangers from the Zeo set will work perfectly with Villains and Rangers from the base game.
Masters & Zords Setup
Once you have claimed your Master card, create a stack of 4 Masters (or 5 if there is only one Villain player) to place near The Grid. You can create your stack of 4 or 5 by choosing the additional Masters or by shuffling them together and drawing 4 or 5 Masters to create the stack and returning the rest to the box.
Then, create a stack of 4 Zords (or 5 if there is only one Hero player) in the same way. If your chosen Megazord requires a specific Zord, make sure to include this Zord in the stack.
Main Deck
Players can choose to use the main deck from Zeo or another set entirely. If players agree, sets and promo cards can also be mixed together to create a customized deck. For a balanced game, choose core or expansion for each card type and add all cards of that type from that set into the main deck. For example, you could include all the Equipment cards from the core set and all of the Maneuver cards from the Zeo expansion. If you include additional promotional cards, make sure the main deck doesn't go over 80 cards.
Have Fun
The rules above are meant as guidelines to create a balanced experience. But, if you want to include all the Zords and Masters, go for it. If you want to make your own main deck from all the cards available, do it. If you'd like to have a battle between two different teams of Rangers or two different teams of Villains, now's your chance.
Quick Reference
Start Phase
- Refill The Grid to 6 cards.
- If the top card of the Zeo Blaster, Zord, and/or Master stack is face down, flip it face up.
- Ready every card attached to your character.
- Resolve any "start of turn" effects in the order of your choosing.
Main Phase
Perform any number of the following actions, any number of times, in any order during your turn:
- Play cards from your hand to generate their Shards and Energy. If they have both, you get both.
- Buy cards with a combined Shard cost equal to or less than your current Shard total.
- Attach cards in your hand to matching empty slots (by color) on your character card. Attaching cards is not "playing" them, so this does not generate the Shards and Energy shown on the card.
- Battle adversary cards in The Grid by paying the Shard cost inside the Battle icon. When you do, gain the reward listed next to the icon, then place that adversary card into the main deck discard pile.
- Activate an ability by paying the Energy cost listed on your character or a ready attached card, then "exhaust" the card by turning it sideways. "Ready" means upright and not sideways.
- Discard a ready (upright) card attached to your character.
End Phase
- Perform any "at the end of your turn" actions in the order of your choosing.
- Take 1 damage for each adversary card in The Grid. For example, if you are a Hero player and there are 2 Villains in The Grid, you take 2 damage. This is not an Attack and therefore cannot be blocked.
- You may discard any number of cards attached to your character, whether ready or exhausted.
- Discard all non-Ongoing cards you played during your turn as well as all cards remaining in your hand.
- Refill your hand to 5 cards. The next player now starts their turn.
How to Win: Reduce the opposing side's Hit Points from 30 to 0!
Serpentera Section Promo Rules
At the start of the game, place the 3 Serpentera Section cards face-up near the play area in a stack with 8 on top and 10 on the bottom.
As General Venjix, you always have the option of purchasing the top card from this stack on your turn. When you do, place it near your character.
When you purchase the final "Head" section, Serpentera is complete and you may use the ability listed on Serpentera Scales card. When Serpentera's ability is used, turn the card 90 degrees. Serpentera refreshes as normal at the start of your turn.